From Serlio 205 124. Doorway of De l’Orme. From De l’Orme 208 125. Façade of Charleval. From Du Cerceau 210 126. Interior façade of Charleval. From Du Cerceau 212 127. Chimney of Burghley House 217 128. North side of court, Kirby Hall. From Gotch 219 129. Gable of Kirby Hall. From Gotch 220 130. Window of Walterstone Hall. From Gotch 222 131. Impost of Cranborne Manor-House. From Gotch 222 132. Portal of Wollaton Hall. From Gotch 224 133. Basement of Whitehall. From Kent 230 134. Front of old St. Paul’s. From Kent 231 135. Section of Wren’s rejected scheme for St. Paul’s. From Bloomfield 236 136. Section of the dome of St. Paul’s. From Longman 240 137. Vaulting of St. Paul’s 242 138. Crossing pier and impost of St. Paul’s 244 139. Half section of the nave of St. Paul’s. From Longman 245 LIST OF PLATES PAGE I. The Dome of Florence 16 II. Interior of Sant’ Andrea, Mantua 38 III. The Dome of St. Peter’s 63 IV. The Riccardi Palace 103 V. San Bernardino, Perugia 135 VI. Ducal Palace, Venice 154 VII. Palazzo Corner-Spinelli, Venice 160 VIII. Palazzo del Consiglio, Verona 163 IX. Relief of the Lombardi 169 X. The Banqueting Hall, Whitehall 228 XI. The Dome of St. Paul’s 239 XII. Interior of St. Paul’s 242 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The great change in ideas and ideals which, after the remarkable intellectual and artistic life of the Middle Ages, was manifested in the so-called Renaissance, is not always correctly conceived or fairly stated; and the character and merits of the Fine Arts of the Renaissance, as compared with those of mediæval times, have not, I think, been often set forth in an entirely true light. Of the merits of the best Italian art of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries there can be no question, but the belief that this art is altogether superior to that of the Middle Ages will not bear examination in the light of impartial comparison.